Jazz arranging · Swing & the Big Band Era
BillyMay
1916–2004 arranger · composer · orchestrator
May's arranging style was characterized by crisp, swinging brass sections, often featuring his trademark "slurping" saxophones—a…
- Predominant era
- Swing & the Big Band Era
- Lifespan
- 1916–2004
- Signature
- iridescent color
Bio · 39 words
Edward William "Billy" May Jr. was born in Pittsburgh and studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He played trumpet and arranged for the Glenn Miller Orchestra before moving to California to work as a freelance arranger and conductor.
01
Musical style
Sound DNA
Five shared dimensions make the arranger’s musical priorities visible at a glance.
Iridescent
Instrumental color leads the design.
Compact
Ideas arrive in tightly packed frames.
Expansive
Wide spans define the orchestral frame.
Layered
Several musical planes coexist.
Propulsive
Rhythm actively drives the architecture.
02
Orchestration
Technique deck
Select a card to spotlight a device drawn from this arranger’s orchestral language.
03
Music first
Scores & orchestras
Switch recordings to compare how this arranger’s musical priorities shape each orchestral profile.
Come Fly with Me · 1958
Moonlight in Vermont
May's arrangements for Sinatra represent some of his finest work.
Listen forNotice how register shapes the orchestral profile.
Profile derived from the arranger’s documented style and recording notes; exact instrumentation is not asserted.
Sorta-May · 1953
Fat Man Boogie
May's arrangements for his own orchestra showcase his jazz credibility.
Listen forNotice how register shapes the orchestral profile.
Profile derived from the arranger’s documented style and recording notes; exact instrumentation is not asserted.
Just One of Those Things · 1957
Blues in the Night
May's arrangements for Cole emphasize the singer's swing side rather than his ballad persona.
Listen forNotice how register shapes the orchestral profile.
Find listening example on YouTubeProfile derived from the arranger’s documented style and recording notes; exact instrumentation is not asserted.
04
Start here
Three essential albums
One line each—enough context to choose the next listen.
- 01 1958 Come Fly with MeFrank Sinatra May's arrangements for Sinatra represent some of his finest work.
- 02 1953 Sorta-MayBilly May May's arrangements for his own orchestra showcase his jazz credibility.
- 03 1957 Just One of Those ThingsNat King Cole May's arrangements for Cole emphasize the singer's swing side rather than his ballad persona.